


Blending In

by fenzi



Series: Blending In [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-06 06:18:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14050779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fenzi/pseuds/fenzi
Summary: Olivia finally thinks she's found something that could work with Rafael.  With his new job, they don't have to worry about conflict of interest.  Noah loves him.  Lucia's elated.The only person they need to convince now is his daughter.





	1. Chapter 1

_Marisa missed her flight_

_What happened?_

_Her irresponsible mother couldn’t manage to get her to the airport on time, after I rearranged my whole afternoon around picking her up._

_Did she get on a later flight?_

_Not today. She’s coming in tomorrow, and my mother’s going to have to pick her up, after I swore I’d be there._

_She’s 14. She’ll understand._

_I’m saving this text to show you when Noah is a teenager._

* * *

Noah sat on his knees at Rafael’s coffee table, coloring in a forest scene he’d concocted from memories of a cartoon he’d seen earlier in the week. Liv had given him a snack to tide him over until Rafa’s daughter arrived, but she already knew that the late dinner was going to push their evening schedule out of whack. They’d planned to go out earlier, but that was when they thought Marisa would get there the day before. With her new flight, they were looking at a 7:30 dinner, and a bedtime that pushed dangerously close to ten.

Liv had offered to move the dinner back a day, but with Rafael and his daughter leaving town on Saturday, he’d insisted that they go through with it. She leaned back into where he sat beside her on the couch, and he rubbed up and down her arm.

“I’m sorry. They’ll be here soon.”

Just on cue, there was knocking at the front door.

“Rafi, we’re here.” Lucia’s voice rang clearly through the door.

“Coming, Mami!” Rafael stood to open the door, Liv close behind.

She just caught a glimpse of Rafa’s daughter before the girl threw herself into his arms with a squeal of “Papi!” They lingered in the hug while Lucia edged around them with Marisa’s suitcase and greeted Liv and Noah. By the time Rafa had let go of his daughter, Lucia was back to take her own turn at dousing her granddaughter with familial affection.

“I can’t get enough of you, but I’m already late,” She said, leaving a last few kisses on Marisa’s face. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Te amo.”

“Thank you, Mami,” Rafa said as he closed the door behind her. 

It was only then that Marisa’s eyes fell on Liv and Noah.

Rafael started to make introductions, but the look on his daughter’s face was already setting off alarm bells in Liv’s head. Marisa looked between them, brow furrowed, and addressed her father in Spanish too rapid fire for Liv to puzzle out.

“We are,” Rafael answered her. “Liv and Noah are coming with us.”

“If this isn’t a good time, we can do it later,” Liv offered. “It’s late for us, anyway.”

“But you said we could eat dinner with Rafa!” Noah protested.

“You can,” Rafa reassured him, then sighed at what Liv could only imagine were complaints coming from Marisa’s incomprehensible version of Spanish, a language Oliva had at least a passable understanding of. “It was always today, Risita. You just came a day late. Liv and Noah are excited to meet you.”

As Rafa’s daughter dodged the kiss he tried to plant on her forehead, Olivia turned her attention Noah, the only one of them whose excitement outweighed any nervousness about the upcoming meal.

* * *

The Uber ride had been predictably awkward, most of which Liv avoided by sitting up front with the driver. Noah had served as a defacto buffer between Rafa and his daughter, unperturbed by Marisa’s silence as he chatted with both of the adults in the car.

The seating arrangements at the restaurant booth were a little more challenging. Noah had wanted to sit next to Rafael, which Rafael had been willing to indulge until Liv had put a stop to it, ensuring that Rafael could sit next to his daughter. Instead, the two kids sat across from each other on the inside on the booth, their respective parents beside them. It gave Rafa ample opportunity to both try to engage his daughter in conversation and shoot Liv exasperated glances across the table every time Marisa didn’t respond in kind.

“So, Marisa, how’s your ravioli?” Liv asked. 

“Fine,” she answered toward her plate, before turning to Rafael and adding something in her unintelligible version of Spanish. Whatever it was, he was getting pushed to the edge of what he could tolerate.

“Risita, could you please speak English so Olivia and Noah can understand you, too?”

She responded with another string of Spanish that Olivia was convinced was intentionally incomprehensible. From the look on Rafa’s face, he agreed.

“It doesn’t matter who you’re talking to. It’s rude. Stop it.”

“Nevermind,” she muttered, and began poking at her food with her fork. Rafael didn’t look happy with the response, but Noah piped up before he could say anything about it.

“I can understand Spanish, too, Rafa.” He waited until he was sure he had Rafa’s attention before demonstrating, “Buenos días. ¿Cómo estás?”

“Muy bien, amiguito.” Rafa praised, and Noah beamed.

“Mom, can I try the ravioli?” Noah asked, pointing at Marisa’s plate. The girl looked like she was on the verge of tears, and Liv had no idea what to do about it other than leave her alone.

“That’s Marisa’s dinner, honey. You want to try some of mine?”

Noah took a look at Liv’s salad and shook his head, wrinkling his nose at the idea. 

“I’m not hungry,” Marisa mumbled, and pushed her plate across the table to Noah.

Rafa took the plate before Noah could grab it, spooning some ravioli onto the boy’s plate and setting the rest of the meal back in front of his daughter. “Try to eat something, Risita. This is your favorite.”

“I don’t feel good.”

He ran a hand over the back of her head. “Just try, mija.”

“Rafa, can I try yours, too?” Noah asked.

“There you go, mijo.” Rafa said, doling out another few bites from his own plate.

Marisa pushed her plate away and slumped back from the table. “I really don’t feel good. I want to go back.”

“Try to eat a few bites. We’ll be finished soon.”

“Fine, I’ll just go be sick in the bathroom while I wait for you.” She turned as if to slide out of the booth, but Rafa didn’t move. Noah looked between them, suddenly aware of the conflict that had been brewing for most of the evening, and Liv put an arm around his shoulders, both to reassure him and keep him from speaking up about it.

“Marisa...” Rafa’s tone landed somewhere between a plea and a warning.

“Can you just move so I can go to the bathroom? Please?”

For a moment, Liv though Rafael might hold his ground. After glancing over at Noah and Liv, though, he just sighed and slid out of the booth, allowing his daughter to rush toward the bathroom before he sat back down, shaking his head at what had happened. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Liv reassured him. “She had a long day. Do you need to go?”

Rafa looked toward where his daughter had run off. “No. She’s probably calling her mother, telling her… I don’t know.”

Liv reached over and squeezed his hand. “It was a long flight. She probably just needs some rest.”

Rafael didn’t look convinced.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments. It's really encouraging to have the feedback. I'm also curious, because I'm new to the fandom, why people say that it is 'different' to other fics. I am not offended, just curious, if anyone doesn't mind to explain. Anyway, thank you again for reading and commenting!

The next morning, Liv found herself in the neighborhood of Rafa’s new office, mainly because she’d found an excuse to get there. She picked up two cups of coffee before dropping in.

“Thank you!” Rafa seemed more interested in getting the coffee in his hands than greeting Liv, but she was afforded a kiss on the cheek before he took at least his second sip. She wasn’t too offended as she leaned up against the side of his desk.

“You two work everything out?”

“Uh, no,” he scoffed. “We argued for an hour, and she slammed a door in my face. I ended up taking away her phone for two days, which is not how I wanted this visit to start.”

“So why’d you do it?”

Rafael just shot her a reproachful glare over the lid of the coffee cup.

“Come on, Rafa! She was just upset because she wanted some time with you alone.”

“Oh, so that’s what slamming a door in someone’s face means.” He set the coffee on his desk, his exasperation at the previous night playing out in the roll of his eyes. “You know, if I’d acted like that when I was her age, my mother would have-” he cut himself off, shaking his head at some distant recollection of maternal wrath.

“So your mom agrees with you, then.” She knew the answer, even before Rafa’s annoyed smirk.

“Cute, Liv. I have to get back to work.”

“Uh-huh.” She stood up, kissing him quickly before heading to the door. “I’ll see you at my place at seven.”

* * *

Rafa arrived a little before seven, his daughter in tow. She had on what looked to be a new dress and freshly done nails, courtesy of Lucia, Liv was sure. She also wore a grimace, which appeared to be courtesy of Rafa, if her furtive glares were any indication. Rafa didn’t seem any more pleased with his daughter than she was with him. 

“You look so pretty, Marisa!” Liv greeted her. 

“Thanks,” she sighed, and Rafa leaned in to greet Olivia with a kiss.

“Mom, _now_ can we have the ice cream?” Noah pleaded from the refrigerator. 

“After dinner, sweetheart.”

“But I already _had_ dinner!”

“That was a snack. Marisa and Rafa brought Chinese take out.”

“But I’m only hungry for ice cream!”

Liv took the food from Rafa’s hand, sharing a knowing smile with them at Noah’s pleas. “Noah, honey, what happened to that picture you drew for Marisa?”

Noah had worked on the drawing for quite a while that evening, and he perked up at the mention of it. It didn’t take long for him to find it in the mess on the coffee table and proudly present it to Marisa.

“Guess what it is!”

“It’s the Golden Gate Bridge.” Whatever her current feelings toward her father, Marisa seemed willing enough to indulge Noah in showing off his latest artwork.

Noah nodded, excited by the fact that Marisa had been able to identify the subject on her first guess, a rarity in the kindergarten art world. “Yeah, because it’s where you live, and my mom said you miss it there.”

“Thanks. It’s really nice.”

Encouraged by Marisa’s response to his drawing, Noah grabbed her hand. “Come see my Lego ship!”

Noah dragged her off to his bedroom, leaving the adults behind to set up dinner. Liv began unpacking the take out bag on the dining table, smiling quietly when Rafael wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

“How long do you think we have until they come back?” he asked.

“Not long enough for what you’re thinking.” She leaned back into his chest, intertwining her fingers with his. He was anxious, she could tell, and neither of them were looking forward to spending the week apart. They’d toyed with the idea of Liv and Noah joining in on the vacation, but it had seemed too big of a step, and Liv was glad that they hadn’t, given Marisa’s reaction to the previous night’s dinner.

“Oh, so you think you know what I’m thinking, now?” Rafa murmured right at the tip of her ear.

She turned into the sound, catching his lips with hers, then slid around in his arms until they were completely facing each other. “I have a pretty good idea, yeah.”

They went as far as they dared with their children in the next room, then pulled back from each other, breathing heavily. Rafa grinned at whatever he saw in her face. “God, I’m going to miss you.”

She pointed to kitchen, and Rafa let go, freeing her to get the plates while he fiddled with a set of chopsticks.

“I’m not even sure she still wants to go. Apparently, I don’t understand her, I don’t actually care about her, and why don’t I just leave her the hell alone.”

Liv tried to stay neutral as she walked to the table. “It sounds like she’s really angry.”

“It didn’t stop until I threatened to ground her from screens for the rest of the trip. She was completely out of control.”

Liv set the plates out. “Okay.”

“What does that mean?” Rafa asked, and when she didn’t immediately answer, he put his hands on her hips and raised his eyebrows in question. “What was that judgemental ‘Okay’?”

“I’m not judging you, Rafa.” She leaned her head back and sighed, trying to decide how to phrase her thoughts in the most non-judgemental way possible. “It’s just, you only have two weeks with her. Do you really want to spend it in a power struggle?”

“I don’t want to spend it with her swearing at me and slamming doors in my face.”

“Okay,” she nodded.

“There, that’s it again. That’s a judgemental ‘Okay.’”

Liv shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I’m sorry.” He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. “It’s not just this visit. Her mother...”

When he didn’t finish the thought, she broke away to see his face. He was staring to the side, lipped pressed together in grim thought. Before she had a chance to ask him about it, footsteps at from the back of the apartment caught her attention.

“Mom, Marisa’s crying.” Noah stood at the doorway, his little face open with worry, and Liv knelt in front of him.

“What happened?”

“Nothing!” He shook his head in earnest. “She was crying so I hugged her, and then she went into the bathroom.”

Rafael stepped over to the bathroom while Liv hugged Noah. “She’s going to be okay, honey. She just misses her mom.”

She glanced up to see Rafael having a conversation through the bathroom door. He looked back at her and shook his head.

“Noah, why don’t you go ahead wash your hands? We’ll eat dinner in a minute.”

Noah pulled his step up to the kitchen sink and Liv turned her focus to where Rafael had given up on the conversation with his daughter. Liv knocked on the bathroom door.

“Marisa, honey, we’re about to eat. Do you want to come join us?”

“I...uh...I need a minute.”

“Sure, take your time. Is it okay if we start without you?”

“Yeah.”

Liv returned to the table, where Rafael had already set himself and Noah up with dinner. She sat down on the other side of her son and served herself.

After a few minutes, Marisa joined them, looking over the food before sitting down and leaning her head against her hand. Rafael served a plate and set it in front of her.

“I can get my food myself,” she muttered under her breath.

Before Rafael had a chance to respond, Olivia cut in. “Do you like Chinese food, Marisa?”

“I guess. I just kind of like the food in California better.”

“New York is one of the best cities for food in the world, Risita.”

“Not Mexican food. Every time someone tells be about some great Mexican place in New York, it always sucks.” She shrugged at the warning look from her father. “I know what I’m talking about. I’m Mexican.”

“And Cuban,” Rafa added.

“Yeah, but mostly Mexican.”

“You’re half Cuban, Risita. That’s just…” He shook his head, and Liv could see that he was nearing his breaking point. “That’s just a fact.”

“I mean I _feel_ more Mexican, like that’s what I _really_ am.”

“Excuse me.” Rafa stood and made his way to the back of the apartment. As he disappeared around the corner, Marisa looked down at her food, biting at her bottom lip the same way Rafa did when he was deep in thought. Olivia didn’t know what to say, and even Noah seemed to sense that something was wrong. They ate in silence for the several minutes it took Rafael to return. He rested a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, then bent down to drop a kiss at the top of her head.

“How’s the beef and broccoli? Does that meet your high standards, mija?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” She squeezed her eyes shut, then wiped them quickly with the back of the hand that held her chopsticks.

Rafa gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze before sitting back down to his meal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to put the first scene of this chapter in the last chapter, so I will probably reorganize this one after I've posted everything. Also,I'm not that good at estimating chapters, but I think that seven seems about right now. I made each chapter shorter so I can post more frequently. Thanks for reading and for giving your feedback.

The rest of the meal was a bit more subdued, only partially buoyed by Noah’s unbridled excitement when Liv finally relented to his requests for ice cream. She was putting the carton back in the freezer when she heard Rafa’s phone buzz.

“Is it your work?” Noah asked him, with enough experience that Liv felt a pang of guilt.

“Yes.” He sighed and and started tapping away on the screen. “I’m sorry, I have to take care of this before we leave tomorrow. It won’t take long.”

“Wait, we’re leaving?” Marisa asked when she saw her father stand.

“No, _I’m_ leaving for about an hour, and you’re staying here until I get back.” He paused in his typing to look up at Liv. “If that’s okay?”

Liv wasn’t sure how to respond. It was okay with her, especially after the number of times that she’d left Rafael to watch Noah as she ran out to deal with her own work emergencies. It obviously wasn’t okay with Marisa, though, who was already on her feet.

“Why can’t you just drop me off?” Marisa demanded.

Rafa shook his head as he continued to tap on the screen. “It’s in the opposite direction, and I’ll be right back. The Uber’s already on its way. I need to go.”

“I’m old enough to stay home alone.”

He paused from collecting his things by the door to stare down at his daughter. “You are, but you’re not old enough to get there alone.”

“Why not?”

“Why can’t you take an Uber by yourself? Funny, mija.” He reached out and tilted her face up to him, running his thumb across her cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Liv is in charge, so please do not argue with her.” 

When she didn’t respond, he leaned over and kissed her cheek, ignoring her grimace as she made a half-hearted attempt to turn her head away from him. “Te amo.” 

_I’m sorry_ , he mouthed to Liv over Marisa’s head, then said goodbye. With a last one-sided hug for his daughter, he was out the door.

* * *

Marisa was in the bathroom, where she’d spent the better part of the two and a half hours since her father had left. Liv had a good idea as to why, but she wasn’t ready to risk the uneasy peace that they’d fallen into. 

When Marisa finally stomped back into the living room and threw herself on the couch, Liv gave her an sympathetic smile. “Your dad just texted. He’s going to be later than he thought.”

“This is bullshit,” Marisa muttered, angling for a fight. When she didn’t get one, she let out a huff and stared at the ceiling. There was nothing Liv could think of to distract her. Noah had done a good job of it, before he’d been put to bed, excitedly giving her a tour of every toy in his room. She had eventually forgotten herself, turning into the girl that she probably was most of the time. Liv had been so relieved at the transformation that she’d agreed to make them ice cream sandwiches after Marisa had regaled Noah with the many virtues of stuffing a scoop of ice cream between two cookies. They’d eaten them in the kitchen, laughing as cookie crumbs and melting strawberry ice cream fell to the floor.

That had been forty-five minutes into Rafael’s absence, though. Almost two hours later, and with Noah long since asleep, there was nothing left for Marisa to do, not given Rafa’s proscription against the television or computer. Liv went back to her phone.

_Marisa is bored out of her mind. Can she watch tv until you get back?_

_NO!_

“I don’t even know why I’m here.” Marisa had draped her arm over her eyes, as if the world of Liv’s apartment was too much for her to bear. The melodrama would have been amusing, if it hadn’t been for the tension underlying every interaction.

“I’m sorry, honey. I know it’s not how you wanted to spend your evening.”

“Would you stop being so sympathetic? It’s really obnoxious.”

If she was trying to get a rise out of Liv, she was going to have to try harder than that, but it also wasn’t something Liv was willing to ignore. Taking the statement as the invitation that it could be in its most literal interpretation, Liv crossed over to the couch.

“All right. Sit up.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Well, that’s where we are.” Liv sat on the edge of the couch, sharing the cushion with Marisa’s calves and feet. “Come on, sit up.”

Marisa scrambled upright, pulling her legs from behind Liv and tucking them under her chin.

“And give me your phone.” She tapped the coffee table, but Marisa just gave her a wary glance.

“My dad took it.”

“Your phone, please.” Olivia tapped the table again and raised her eyebrows in resolved expectation. After a few moments of squirming where she sat, Marisa pulled a phone from underneath her and placed in on the coffee table. Liv shifted it to the side, just out of Marisa’s reach.

“Marisa, you seem pretty angry at me, and I’d like your help at understanding why.”

Glowering toward the floor, Marisa toyed with the hem of her dress. “I’m not angry at you. I just don’t want to be pawned off on you.”

“That makes sense, that you’d rather be spending time with your dad than with me.” Olivia nodded, trying to establish some sort of rapport. She was also trying her damnedest not to think of this as an interrogation. Liv had a knack for knowing when people wanted to talk, and this girl wanted to talk. “What about last night? It seemed like you didn’t want me there at all.”

Marisa shrugged and eyed the coffee table. “Can I have my phone back?”

“Let’s hold off on that for a minute. Can you tell me your side of what happened last night?” 

It was manipulative, Liv knew, to keep the phone in play, leaving it out as a possibility without promise. It gave her just enough leverage to keep Marisa engaged, and the invitation to be heard out was too tempting for most people, let alone a teenage girl.

“I don’t know. Just, everything sucked. Like, my dad didn’t even come to pick me up at the airport, and then he’s just been mad at me the whole time.”

“Marisa, your dad moved around his whole schedule to pick you up, but you came a day late. He had to work.”

“Then why was he at home with you Noah?” Marisa asked, and Liv knew that they were getting somewhere.

“He’d just gotten there. We’d been locked out waiting for him for ten minutes.”

“Yeah, but it was my first night here, and...”

Liv nodded. “You wanted it just the two of you.”

“I don’t know.” Marisa picked at side of the couch, looking anywhere but at Liv’s face. “He’s just different when you’re around. Like, we have to speak English all the time, even though it’s super weird. And he doesn’t care, except…”

“What is it?”

“Why does he get mad when I speak Spanish, and then he’ll speak Spanish to Noah?” The last half of the sentence came out as a sob, and Liv reached out to comfort her, only remembering herself when Risita pulled away.

“No sympathy, sorry, I forgot.” Liv held up her hands in placation, and Marisa hugged her knees closer to her chest.

“It was supposed to be my dinner with him, and he doesn’t even care that I’m there, even though he can see Noah every day, and I’m just here for two weeks,” Marisa explained through her tears, and it really didn’t matter that none of it was real, that Rafa had been planning Marisa’s visit for weeks, that he’d been speaking Spanish to Marisa just as much as he had to Noah, that he was leaving Liv and Noah behind the next day to spend an entire week on vacation with her. Rafa’s love for Noah was real, as was the time that the two spent together.

“I see. Thank you for being so kind to Noah, even with all of that.” 

Marisa dried her eyes with the back of her hand as she got her breathing back under control. “Can I have my phone back now?”

“Honey, your dad said no screens,” Liv said, tilting her head in apology.

“But I’m not going to look at the screen. I just want to listen to music.”

Liv wasn’t even sure that it could be called a loophole, since Marisa would need the screen to control the music player. It was really just Rafa’s daughter asking for permission to continue to sneak around his back. Olivia knew she should keep the phone until she could return it to Rafael himself, or at least text him to let him weigh in on the situation. She picked it up, and the current time blinked across the screen. Rafa had been gone for almost three hours, with no return in sight.

“Yeah, okay,” she said, and handed the phone back to Marisa.

* * *

It was another hour before Rafael finally knocked on the door. Liv stood from where she was catching up on emails and went to unlock it. Marisa was still lying on the couch, listening to music with closed eyes, oblivious to her father’s return.

“I’m _so_ sorry.” Rafa began apologizing even before Liv could fully open the door. He stepped inside and she shut it softly behind him, turning back around to meet his kiss. Instead of breaking away afterwards, he just rested his forehead on hers. “That was not supposed to take that long.”

He tilted his head for another kiss, but Olivia pushed back on his chest. “Your daughter,” she indicated the couch, where Marisa was pushing herself up on her elbows and blinking away her grogginess.

“She’s still awa-” He turned around, and Marisa pulled back at whatever she saw on his face. “Marisa, what is your phone doing here?”

“Liv said I could use it!” Marisa explained, cradling the phone at her stomach.

“I didn’t ask why you were using it. I asked why it’s _here_ and not in my dresser at home.” Rafael strode over to the couch, and Liv followed, ready to admit that she had, in fact, given Marisa permission to use the phone. Rafa didn’t seem interested in anything Liv had to say, though, as he stared down at his daughter. He was wearing the face that he usually reserved for criminals he wanted to pressure into a plea. “Give it to me.”

He held out his hand, and Marisa slapped the phone into it. “ _Mami_ gave it to me, not _you_!”

“Then I will FedEx it back to Mami, and you can have it when you get back to San Francisco.”

The clench of Rafael’s jaw told Liv all she needed to know about the string of angry Spanish that tore from his daughter’s lips. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, though, Marisa cut him off. “Sorry, I forgot you’re too good for Spanish now that you’re dating a white lady.”

For the first time, Olivia saw Rafael Barba completely speechless.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter! I still don't know exactly how many chapters this will be, but probably 6 or 7. Thanks for reading! If you have any feedback or ideas, please let me know.

Marisa looked satisfied with her father’s reaction, ready to dish out more, if needed, and all Liv could think was that she didn’t want this to go down in her living room, especially not with Noah within earshot.

“Okay, okay, let’s all cool down,” she said, coming close enough that she could insert herself between them if needed. Rafael turned to her, as if he’d forgotten that she was even there. He didn’t look happy with her presence, or intervention, but he held his tongue, apparently unwilling to voice his frustration in front of his daughter. The fight had bled from Marisa, her eyes flicking between the two adults as the gravity of the things she’d said sunk in.

“Marisa, sweetheart, can you go check on Noah, please?”

Recognizing the request for the lifeline that it was, Marisa hurried out of the room.

“I’m not letting that slide,” Rafa said, pointed toward the back of the apartment, where Marisa had made her escape.

“I’m not saying you should. She’s your daughter. You’re in charge.”

He stared at her, confused, until horrified realization bloomed across his face. “Are you _hostage-negotiating_ me?”

“No, of course not.” She realized even as she said it that it was only a half-truth. She was at the very least trying to talk him down. “I just don’t want this to keep escalating.”

Rafael was not appeased. “She’s not my hostage, Liv. She is my daughter, and while I appreciate this ‘rapport’ that you’ve apparently established with her, the fact is that she _does_ have to do what I tell her to do.”

“Okay, yes. I got it. But is there _anything_ that you can compromise on?” 

“Compromise?” Rafael gaped. “Liv, in the day and a half since she’s been here, she’s been to her favorite restaurant, gotten a new dress, seen a movie she wanted to see, and eaten her favorite take out. There’s nothing left to compromise on.”

“What about the Spanish?”

“Her English better than her Spanish. _My_ English is better than my Spanish. There is no reason that we can’t speak English when we’re here.”

“There’s no reason you can’t speak Spanish.”

He scoffed. “Actually there is. You can’t understand us.”

Anger twisted in Liv’s gut, and she wasn’t sure whether it was Rafael’s condescending dismissal of her willingness to accommodate his daughter, or the striking awareness that there existed a major aspect of his life that she didn’t have access to. “Then maybe I should learn Spanish.”

“Okay, great. So next week when we come back and you’ve learned Spanish, we’ll speak that instead,” he offered, and Liv was suddenly certain that it was the condescending dismissal that was getting to her.

“Actually, I was thinking a little more long term than that,” she snapped, before she realized what she was saying. It was the first time that either of them had expressed any expectations about the long term nature of their relationship, and it jolted Rafael from his sarcasm. He took a few deep breaths before continuing.

“This is not about speaking Spanish. She was _intentionally_ trying to exclude you. That’s unacceptable. When I tried to talk to her about that, she was even more disrespectful. Then, when I took her phone away, she stole it back from my bedroom. Then she manipulated you into-”

“She didn’t ‘manipulate’ me,” Liv interjected. “You said I was in charge, and I made a decision.”

“Which I don’t understand, because I _told_ you I had taken it from her and she wasn’t supposed to be on any screens!”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but she wasn’t on the screen. She was just listening to music.”

Rafael barked out a humorless laugh. “Okay, wow. That’s logic I wouldn’t expect from anyone over the age of twenty.”

She turned away from him and rested against the kitchen counter, pressing her lips together as she tried to make sense of what was happening. “I made a decision, apparently a bad one, but you are overreacting.”

“If you’re-” He cut himself off, and Liv waited for the rest of the sentence. When he finally spoke again, his voice was right behind her. “Liv, I really need your support on this.”

She turned around, and he was right there, as uncertain and vulnerable as she’d ever seen him. “Then tell me what’s going on.”

Rafael sighed, considering, then leaned back to perch on the back of the couch. He looked toward the back of the apartment before speaking. “I might be suing for custody. Her mother wants to move her to Japan.”

“What?”

“Liliana’s been seeing someone, and he’s getting transferred to Kyoto. She’s says they’re going to get married so that she can get a visa to go with him. I’m not letting my daughter move to Japan with some man that her mother has known for three months.” 

He looked relieved saying it out loud, as if his insistence that he’d stop it could somehow keep it from happening. 

“She knows I can stop her from taking Marisa out of the country, but she’s moving anyway. So now Lily’s plan is to have _her_ mother stay with Marisa in San Francisco, which I’m also not okay with, because that’s where all the anti-Cuban bullshit is coming from.”

“Marisa’s grandmother?”

He nodded and began ticking off a litany of complaints on his fingers. “She thinks Cubans are stuck up, that I thought was too good for Liliana. She doesn’t like how easy it is for us to get residency. She has opinions about the way that we speak Spanish, which she shares with Risita every time she comes back with some of my accent.” He closed his eyes, pulling himself together. “I feel like I’m losing my daughter.”

“It sounds like you have a good case for custody. Would she want that?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like visiting. It’s a different type of parenting. She has to understand that there are other parts of my life. She can’t be resentful that I have to work, or jealous that I’m in a relationship with someone.”

“Rafa, I don’t think she was jealous of me. I think she was jealous of Noah.”

Rafael put his face in his hands, utterly defeated. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Have you talked to her about any of this?”

He shook his head. “Lily and I agreed we wouldn’t say anything until we make a decision about her options.”

“And you’re sure she doesn’t know?” Liv prodded. Rafa shook his head again and sighed. “She knows something, Rafael. You need to talk to her.”

He let out a breath and stood. Liv followed, unsure how the next few moments with Marisa were going to play out. Rafa grabbed her hand before she could find an excuse to be out of their way. “Hey,” he said, crowding her space until she put a steadying hand on his hip. “I’m sorry.”

She pressed into him, letting him place his free hand at the back of her head. “Me, too.”

He slid his hand until he was cupping the side of her face, then leaned in to kiss her. They allowed themselves to linger there until Rafa pulled away and smiled softly at her. “Thank you.” 

“For what?”

“For putting up with everything,” he laughed softly.

* * *

“Can you come out please?” Rafa asked through the bathroom door. They hadn’t been surprised to find Marisa in there. It was, after all, the only room in the apartment with a lock.

“Noah’s fine. I already checked on him.” Her voice hitched toward the end of the sentence, and Rafa glanced back toward Liv, who was staying as unobtrusive as possible on the other side of the living room.

“I know, mija. I’m checking on you now. Can you open the door, please?”

“I don’t want to talk right now.”

“Risita, I’m trying…” Rafa tilted his head toward the door, and his voice softened. “Abre la puerta, por favor. Quiero pedir disculpas. Abre la puerta, Risita.”

The door peeked open, then slowly continued until the gap was wide enough for Marisa to slip through. She stood in front of her father, looking anywhere but at his face. When he wrapped his arms around her, she let it happen, leaning in slightly until she finally hugged him back. He bent his head down to kiss the top of hers.

“Lo siento. Lo siento,” he said softly into her hair.

“Lo siento tambien,” she sniffled into his shirt. “¿Liv está enojada conmigo?”

“No, she was worried about you.”

“I didn’t mean it. I don’t know why I said it. I didn’t mean any of it.” She continued to ramble on, sliding easily through watery Spanish and English as Rafael just rubbed her back and comforted her as best he could.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter. It just took me forever to write. I'm not even sure why.

_How is everything?_

_I talked to a lawyer._

_You are a lawyer._

_Someone who does custody cases._

_So you’re going through with it?_

_I’ll call you later._

* * *

Rafael did her one better, requesting a video chat a little before lunch. She accepted the call quickly and smiled to see his face, backlit from the summer sun streaming in through the window behind him. The wires on his earbuds swung wildly as he craned his neck to see something off the screen. “Hey,” he greeted her softly.

“Hey, I thought you were going to call tonight. Noah’s not with me.”

“Yeah, I was, but I don’t know if I can. I’m, uh…” His mouth quirked up. “I’m not actually supposed to be on the phone today.”

“Rafael Barba, are you grounded from your phone?” Liv gasped in mock shock, and Rafa grinned at her. It was good to see him so relaxed.

“We agreed that we’d both stay off technology today so we could spend more time together.”

“And how’s that working out for you?” she teased him.

“Yes, Liv, I am aware of the irony of the situation.” He settled back in his seat. “I have no remorse. We have a few minutes before she’s out of the shower.”

“And you just expect me to be at your disposal?”

He didn’t answer, just radiated self-assured confidence in her willingness to indulge him. Olivia melted at it, and barely resisted the urge to try to reach through the screen to touch him. “You seem happy.”

“Yeah.” He sat contemplating his feelings, then let out a breath before looking back at the screen. “So, I’ve decided I want Marisa to move in with me.”

“That’s great. So you talked to her about it?”

“Yeah, she already knew about Japan from her mother.” His face darkened into into something a little more serious than the usual exasperation it held when he talked about Marisa’s mother. “Lily made her promise not to tell me. Apparently I might use the information to get out of paying child support, because that’s the reason fathers file for custody of their children.”

Liv saw her own shock mirrored in the picture-in-picture display on the screen. “She said that to Marisa?” 

“One of them did. I can’t even begin to understand...” He shook off the thought. “The thing is, it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is that the best thing for her right now is to live with me. It’s obviously the best thing for her that she live with me, right?”

He looked hopeful, and younger, the light pink dusting from the sun on his nose and cheeks adding to the effect. Liv wanted him in her arms. “It sounds like it. Is that what she wants?”

“I think so. Mi vida, you should have seen her face when I told her that I would go to court to make sure she ended up with me.”

A slow smile spread across Liv’s face. “Did you just call me ‘mi vida’?”

“Olivia, cariño, eres mi vida...mi amor...mi cielo…” He played it up to the camera, and Liv laughed.

“We really need to go on vacation together. You are a different person.”

“I wish you were here now.” Something across the room caught his attention. “The water just turned off. I think I better go. I love you, Liv.”

Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. Rafa didn’t seem to realize what he had said, or at least didn’t until the silence stretched just a few moments too long. Of course she knew that he loved her, but the artificial step of saying those exact words had felt impossibly large, and not one to be taken in a careless moment of distraction. Rafael looked almost wary as he waited for her response, the deadline of Marisa’s return looming in front them.

“I love you, too, Rafa,” she said, then kissed her fingers and held them out to the screen. 

Rafa relaxed, his vacation persona restored. “I’ll call back when I can,” he promised, and the chat ended.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a week! This took a while, and I think it could probably use a little more finessing, but here it is. Thanks everyone for reading and commenting. :)

As soon as Liv opened the door to Rafael and his daughter, Noah flung himself through. He held onto Rafa as if the man had been away at war for three years, despite the daily video chats they’d had since Lucia’s arrival at the beach had given him a little more flexibility. Liv leaned over her son to give Rafa a kiss, and Noah squirmed out from between them to wrap his arms around Marisa.

Liv hesitated at Marisa’s careful demeanor, then reached out for her. Marisa stepped into the hug, and Liv squeezed her tight before smiling down at her. “You’ve got some sun.”

“Yeah, my dad got the wrong sunscreen.” She met her father’s disapproving frown with wide-eyed innocence. “That’s what Abuelita said. I didn’t make it up!”

“So you had a good time?” Liv asked, guiding Noah out of the way so they could get inside.

“Yeah, it was great!” Marisa answered, as Liv closed and locked the door behind them. “Oh, Noah, look what I found for you.”

Noah followed Marisa to the coffee table, where she knelt down and poured out a handful of colorful seashells onto the surface. Noah gaped at them, delighted. “They’re pretty!”

“Do you want something to drink?” Liv asked Rafa, as Noah and Marisa sorted through the shells, spreading a thin layer of sand and dust across the table and onto the floor below it.

“No.” He smiled at her, a secret smile for just the two of them, and Liv knew exactly what he wanted instead. Leaning in close, he murmured in her ear, “What are your thoughts on drugging the children?”

She laughed and pushed him away. On the best days, they could find some time for each other after Noah had gone to sleep. With Marisa in the picture, though, it was going to be more challenging. He grabbed her hand from his chest and held on, intertwining their fingers as the kids’ conversation continued.

“You should come next time. You can help me prank my dad so I don’t need to ask total strangers.”

That mention caught Rafa’s attention. “Noah doesn’t need to hear that story, Marisa.”

“They just poured water on you. We were at the beach!” Marisa protested. Her indignation lasted only for a few moments, though, before her enthusiasm for the story kicked back in. “He screamed so loud. Here, wait, you can see.”

Liv crossed over to the coffee table, dragging Rafa by the hand he still held captive. Marisa was swiping through her photos, until she found the one she wanted, a candid of Rafael in the middle of standing from a beach chair as water sluiced off his hair and shoulders, a shocked expression on his face.

“That’s funny!” Noah said as he peered down at the screen, and Rafa rolled his eyes.

“That was _ice_ water, Risita. They poured it from their cooler.”

“Did you get mad?” Noah asked.

“No, I didn’t get mad,” Rafa reassured him. “I was just very, very cold. It was not a nice thing to do.”

Marisa didn’t seem to notice the mild reprimand. She was up on on her knees, gesticulating with an excitement that riveted Noah. “He couldn’t leave our stuff to run after me, so he waited until later, and he got revenge!”

“It wasn’t _revenge_. We were just having fun.”

“We were walking to dinner with Abuelita, and he randomly picked me up threw me in the pool with all my clothes on. The lifeguard was whistling at him, and he came over like he was going to throw Papi out.”

“We don’t know why he came over,” Rafa interjected, but it was a weak defense, and Marisa blithely continued on, too wrapped up in the memory to notice his objection.

“But Abuelita was so mad because I was wearing a new dress and she said, ‘Rafi, you’re forty-six years old. Do I really need to take off my chancleta?’ and the lifeguard just, like, turned and walked away!” That was apparently the punchline, and she fell back on her heels, face turned up to grin at her father. Rafa playfully swatted at her, and she ducked from it, laughing.

“What’s a chancleta?” Noah asked.

“It’s a shoe, amiguito. Marisa’s abuelita was threatening to hit me with a shoe.”

Noah laughed. “That’s silly.”

“Basically the first rule of pranking is that you don’t do it in front of your mom,” Marisa explained to him.

“Risita, we don’t need to hide things from our moms.” Rafa’s reproach carried an edge that his earlier warnings hadn’t, and Marisa made a face at Noah before changing the subject.

“Anyway, if you come next time, there’s a really good ice cream place, and they have, like, every flavor ever. And you can mix in different cookies and candy and cereal and stuff.” 

Noah looked like he’d just been given the coordinates to Shangri-la. “Can we go, mommy?”

“Maybe. Next summer is a long way away.” It wasn’t hard to see them all at the beach, not with the way Noah was hanging on Marisa’s every word. She imagined the two of them, thick as thieves, with her and Rafa watching. She knew it was an oversimplification, but as she and Rafa knelt down beside them and listened to them chatter on about all things beach related, it all felt so right, and easier than she had imagined.

* * *

“Hey, Liv, can I talk to you?”

Liv looked up from where she’d been wiping down the counter. Marisa was standing in the entrance to the kitchen, nervously looking back to the bedrooms, where Rafa was reading Noah a bedtime story. Or bedtime stories, most likely, given his past record when Noah begged for extra. Liv threw the paper towel into the trash and started to wash her hands.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

Marisa sighed and grabbed the edge of the counter, focusing on her fingers instead of Olivia. “I guess I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I don’t know why I was so mean to you.”

“We just had some bad timing.” Liv dried her hands and then turned to face Marisa with a sympathetic smile.

“My dad’s not making me apologize or anything. I just wanted to.”

“Thank you, Marisa. I really appreciate that.”

There was something else that Marisa was trying to get out, and Liv waited for it. Marisa grabbed the pepper grinder and started to fiddle with with the handle.

“Did my dad tell you that I might move to New York?”

There was a hesitancy in Marisa’s voice that Liv couldn’t interpret. She wished she could see the girl’s face, but Marisa was firmly focused on the row of spices in front of her. Liv settled on a vague response. “He mentioned that he’d like that.”

“He promised me that if I live with him that I can stay at the same high school until I graduate.”

“That sounds like a really good idea.”

“And we wouldn’t move apartments for at least a year.”

“Okay.” Liv stayed noncommittal as she wondered where the conversation was going.

“And he wouldn’t get married for at least a year.” Marisa’s head bowed down and Liv let out a breath that she hadn’t realized that she’d been holding. She wanted to put a comforting hand on Marisa’s shoulder, but she wasn’t sure how it would be received.

“Sweetheart, marriage isn’t something that your dad and I have talked about.”

Marisa turned around, looking more apologetic than upset. “It’s not ‘cause I don’t like you. I just don’t want everything to change all at the same time.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Liv nodded. “I think we could use the time to get to know each other better.”

Emboldened by the agreement, Marisa continued on. “But if you do get married, and Noah and my dad, like, because Noah doesn’t have a dad, if he wants Papi to be his dad, then it’s okay. And we can be brother and sister, you know, instead of step brother and sister, but I’m still going to call you ‘Liv’ and you’ll be my step-mom.” 

Marisa paused, checking Liv’s reaction, but Liv was too stunned to say anything. She just stood there, trying to keep an impassive face as Marisa kept talking.

“No offence, it’s just that I already have a mom. And I’m going to speak Spanish with Noah, not to be mean or anything, just because I have to be able to speak Spanish with my own brother.”

“It sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Olivia was finally able to respond.

Marisa nodded. “My dad and I talked about it.”

So Rafael had put a lot of thought into it. Olivia was doing her best to keep the tempest of thoughts in her head from showing in her face or voice. “Well, thank you for communicating so clearly about what’s important to you.”

“And we’re staying in New York. He won’t move away, even if you do.”

The pronouncement put everything back into focus, Olivia’s heart broke a little bit for Marisa. She kept her calm mask in place as she replied, “That sounds like the right thing.”

Marisa finally seemed to relax. “I’m really not saying it to be mean.”

“I know you’re not, sweetheart.” She was saying it to be safe, but Olivia knew better than to speak the thought out loud.

“I still feel bad for how mean I was to you before.”

“It’s okay. I have pretty thick skin.”

“Yeah, I know. You never even got mad at me.”

“Oh, honey, of course not.” Liv couldn’t resist wrapping her in a hug, and Marisa let it happen, leaning into it and holding Liv in return.

“So, I guess just thanks for not being mad at me even though I probably deserve it.”

Olivia stepped back to cup Marisa’s face in her hands. “It really was just bad timing.”

Marisa nodded and bit her lip. “The other thing was, Saturday is my last day here, so we’re going to brunch with my grandmother, and I wanted to know if you and Noah could come, too.”

“That sounds great, honey. We’ll clear our schedule.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter. Thanks everyone for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

The food at the café was fine, but it was mostly chosen for its terrace, which overlooked a small pond that Noah was beyond excited about. He’d stuffed his face with pancakes in record time, hoping he’d get to the water sooner. Liv was wiping syrup from his chin as he squirmed away from the wet napkin.

“Can I go look at the fish now, mom?”

“Here, finish your fruit salad,” she said, moving the half empty bowl of melon closer to him.

“I don’t like the green ones.”

“You haven’t even tried them.” She’d been trying to expand Noah’s fruit repertoire beyond apples, bananas and strawberries, with limited success. “Look, Marisa likes them.”

“Yeah, they’re really good,” Marisa agreed, taking a large bite for emphasis.

Noah watched her, considering, then put a piece of melon in his mouth. It apparently passed muster, because he ate a few more before pronouncing himself full. “Okay, _now_ can I go look at the fish?”

“We’re still not done, honey. You need to wait.”

“I can take him,” Marisa offered. 

Liv hesitated, unsure whether it was within the scope of her authority to allow Marisa from the table. She turned to Rafa for input, but he just shrugged at her.

“Yeah, just don’t let him get too close to the edge, okay?” Liv said, and the kids ran off, hand in hand.

“Did you know he almost drowned his own daughter last week?” Lucia asked, once the two were out of earshot.

Rafa rolled his eyes at the dramatic recasting of the events. “Risita’s a strong swimmer, Mami. She was fine.”

“She’s a strong swimmer when she’s wearing a swimsuit and knows she’s about to go into the water.” Lucia turned back to Liv. “She was sputtering and coughing when she came back up. And you do want to know what this one was doing?”

Lucia pointed to Rafa, who held up his palms in an amused plea. “Mami…”

“He was laughing.” Lucia’s voice held the weight of a judge’s gavel.

Rafa turned his attention to his omelette, cutting into it as he spoke under his breath. “I was watching her. She was fine.”

“And guess what he said to me,” Lucia prompted Liv, tilting her head toward Rafa, who was softly shaking his head. “Guess what my forty-six year old son said to me after he threw his fully clothed daughter into a swimming pool.”

Liv wasn’t sure how to respond, but Lucia didn’t seem to mind. 

“He said, ‘She started it!’” Lucia threw up her hands in exasperation.

“Because she _did_ start it,” Rafa laughed, and Lucia glared at him.

“And that means you need to throw her into a pool?” she demanded, then pointed an accusing finger at him. “And you don’t need to smirk at me either. I don’t want to see the smirk.”

“Okay, Mom.” He smiled at her, genuine affection that only barely grazed the edge of a smirk. “Did you find that STEM coordinator yet?”

Lucia accepted the change of subject with ease, getting them both up to speed on the difficulties of staffing a charter school in New York. She was explaining something about alternative credentialing when Noah came barreling back from the water.

“Mommy, guess what! Marisa’s friends call her ‘Izzy’!”

“Noah, you’re interrupting.” Liv combed her fingers through his hair and turned back to Lucia, but it was too late. The adult conversation had stopped and all attention was focused on her son. Noah barely paused before continuing.

“And guess what I get to call her!”

“Rumpelstiltskin,” guessed Rafa, and Noah laughed.

“No!”

“Sorry, I think I got confused with a different story.” He was biting down on a smile, mischief in his eyes, and Liv’s heart clenched. The way he made Noah smile, the way he _wanted_ to make Noah smile, and then he caught her gaze with his and grinned. He knew.

“I get to call her Izzy! And guess why!”

“Is it because you’re friends?” Liv asked, and Noah nodded, burying his face in Liv’s shirt as he hugged her tightly.

* * *

Rafa texted rather than knock, knowing Noah would already be asleep. Liv opened the door for him, enjoying the first moments they’d had alone since Rafa had come back from the beach.

“Sorry it’s so late,” he said, stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

“It’s fine. It’s-” She stopped at the look on his face. “What?”

Rather than answer, Rafa took her face in both of his hands and kissed her. Liv grabbed his hips and allowed him to walk them the rest of the way inside. She had no idea where he was steering her, and didn’t care, until her right heel grazed a precarious pile of wooden blocks. They tumbled to the floor, along with the shells that had been decorating Noah’s latest architectural achievement. Rafael and Liv froze, listening for any sound from Noah’s bedroom. When none came, they started to walk again, only to hear broken shell crunch under Rafa’s shoe.

“Wait, you’re barefoot,” Rafa said, picking his way through the mess on the floor to get to the kitchen. He came back with a few damp paper towels and began to mop up the shell pieces.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize how many she was bringing.”

“It’s fine. It was sweet of her to bring them.” She took the used paper towels from him and went to throw them away, deftly navigating the minefield that was her living room floor. By the time she came back, Rafa had made himself comfortable on the couch. She sat down beside him, the intensity of the earlier moment lost. “Noah’s smitten, you know. It went really well.”

“Yeah, things really turned around after my daughter told me I was just the sperm donor and accused me a of being a race traitor.” He seemed more amused than upset, and Liv could only hope that it was not a glimpse of what she might be in for, once Noah’s tantrums evolved into something more sophisticated than yelling that he wanted a different mother.

“Your daughter adores you.”

“I know.” He reached for her hand and held it close. “It’s been so much up and down. I’m exhausted.”

Liv laughed. He did look wrecked. “And you want four more years of this?”

“I really do.” He smiled, his gaze soft on her face, then leaned in for another kiss. “And I want more of this.”

Liv edged closer, letting the warmth of his palm on her cheek seep into her. He ran his thumb across her cheekbone and pulled back just enough to speak.

“I really do love you.” He sounded like he was trying to convince her, and Liv tilted her head in concern.

“I know you do.”

His brow crinkled, as if she hadn’t quite understood what he’d said. “I don’t think I could do this without you.”

“You can. You’re a good father, Rafa.”

He shook his head. “I don’t _want_ to do it without you. I don’t want to do any of this without you.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Rafa took a moment to search her face. “When you think about the future, you and Noah, am I there?”

“I want you to be,” she said automatically, but Rafa didn’t seem satisfied. She didn’t know what to say. Olivia’s mind held a thousand futures for Noah. She couldn’t comb through them all if she’d tried. He visited the zoo, and he was a veterinarian; he built a toy robot, and he was an engineer; he passed sentence on his stuffed animals, and he was a judge. She pulled back to the near future: parent-teacher conferences, soccer matches, bedtime stories, and there was Rafa, beside her or just out of sight, supporting her right when she needed it. “Yeah, you’re there.”

He kissed her, holding his lips to hers for just a moment before he drew back, leaving her wondering what she’d just agreed to. His face held a victory that seemed out of proportion to her response.

“That’s all you wanted? Just, I see you in my future?”

“Yeah, that’s it.” He leaned into her, setting his lips right next to her ear. “Because that means I have you.”

“Oh, you _have_ me.” She tilted back, giving herself enough space to raise her eyebrows incredulously at his cocky grin.

“Yeah,” he nodded, then pulled her hips close, until she was straddling his lap and staring down at his smirk. “I have you.”

She ran her fingers through his hair, messing it just enough that she could see that she’d been there. She let her hands cup the sides of his face. “Because where I’m standing from, it looks like _I_ have _you_.”

She dipped down to kiss him, and he opened his mouth to hers, pliant underneath her until she broke for air. His face was just self-satisfied enough as he answered her.

“Always.”


End file.
